Fife Flyers light up the rink with seven goals and a thrilling performance
Fife Flyers wrapped their pre-season preparations with a fine win over Dundee Stars - and a performance that set the rink alight.
While there may only have been bragging rights at stake, this 7-2 victory over Dundee Stars showcased Tim Wallace’s new-look side, and thrilled the fans.
They outworked and heavily outshot the previously unbeaten Stars, who were playing their fifth exhibition game, and created chance after chance after chance.
They also stole so many pucks it was impossible to keep count as they turned in the sort of performance that will make the rink a tough place to visit this season, The trick now is to keep doing it.
Flyers started well and simply kept motoring all night long.
They struck with an early powerplay goal at 4:32; defenceman Reece Kelly getting the credit with his shot from the blue line in via a post, although it may have taken a tip from Evan Dougherty.
The difference between the teams was illustrated just two minutes later as a puck rolled down then middle of the ice pad, Stars were far too slow to react, and Michael Drabek got between the defence and netminder to hit the net.
A third at 15:43 put Flyers on easy street - Garet Hunt rolled the puck back for Joey Pierce to shoot. The first rebound from Dougherty was blocked, the second fell to Hunt to finish what he started.
By the halfway stage it was 4-0 as Dougherty went to the left of Stars’ goal, and his pass slotted home by Joona Vainio. In short, Flyers were on easy street.
Stars halted the tide in the final two seconds of the middle period with a rocket from Brodi Stewart but they were on the back foot all night long, unable to handle Fife’s speed and tenacity.
Kyle Watson added his name to the scoresheet after 48 minutes. He had Victor Bjorklung in centre ice, but went direct and converted at the near post, and Sebastian Bengtsson’s fine snipe past at 50:47 was wiped out with two late goals to seal a thoroughly entertaining win.
The tireless Mike Petizian dropped the puck in net at 58:37, and Drabek - who didn’t score at all last season - grabbed his second at 59:31. By then many Stars fans had headed to the car park.